It sure has been a long road to get this far. I know for sure we can do the launch in April and that will be a great start for the season and we have a second mission in planning that will really knock your socks off.

We have never had a better team of people and I'm really looking forward to 2014 and 2015 as great years for us!

Monroe

I know this for sure I'm taking a week off for the holidays for the first time in 5 years! So enjoy the holidays team and have a safe and enjoyable one.

IS the X-11 reusable? What are mechanic stability issues like linear vibrations in such a frame? I bet the rocket must pack a punch and that air frame is probably going to shake a lot. What is risk management to prevent damage to equipment and fail safes used?

IS the X-11 reusable? What are mechanic stability issues like linear vibrations in such a frame? I bet the rocket must pack a punch and that air frame is probably going to shake a lot. What is risk management to prevent damage to equipment and fail safes used?

The X-11 is reusable. The X-11 frame is currently being analyzed using a combination of real time sensor data and FEA. I can post that final analysis if your interested in that. Risk management is Stewart and Joe's department more than mine if they want to comment on that. Failsafes are written into the code in the Vitural Robotics autopilot and are standard R/C failsafes for that as well as Geofencing with some code added to prevent ignition unless certain conditions are met. There are three conditions set safe, armed and fire and all 3 conditions must exist for ignition.

I think that the X-11 seems like it will have a lot of promise. But also I am not in on the technical info so I cannot really say. My hope though is to work on the business side. And to do that we could use some serious discussion. And I mean serious as in actual financial model. Obviously not so much now. But just to keep this forum active.

We are discussing finances on the Yammer group Michael I see you have found us there. The next 2 projects are already paid for and we are discussing how to distribute funds there now. I'd like to keep this group active though. I'd like to see the Space Fellowship forum become more active. Our group is more like the Copenhagen Suborbital group than like Armadillo Aerospace was. We will keep posting our progress and missions here in the meantime.

I guess as a question I am wondering prematurely: What is the payload that the X11 can carry? In terms of volume and weight perhaps. Does the rocket have variable impulse or is it based on timing (Like how is fuel outlet operating in different scenario?)? Depending on the impulse it may have different effects based on a balloon lifting it. At least I am wondering about the FEM and lines of action(vibration) since those things play a large role from my experience. Will the X11 operate like an an RC aircraft, a balloon, and a rocket? Or is it going to be all spaceplane all the way? Hope these questions are productive.

No the Net has had both Top Down and Bottom Up as common conventions for many decades both are easy to use when you know which one you are using the more complicated kind where you have to concentrate more is the ones like on SlashDot where each thread can have sub threads so additions can appear in the middle but that can be useful in certain circumstances.

And with some forum software the Top Down and Bottom Up versions are a selectable option in user preferences. Its a bit like Swiftian egg entry some like going in via the pointy end others the blunt end the guys and gals at /. like to choose sides ways

Edited to add i have just check and this forum has the option to change direction in settings/profile/Board preferences/Edit display options/ and the bottom option.

_________________Someone has to tilt at windmills.So that we know what to do when the real giants come!!!!

Stewart and I made progress with our new mobile mission control station this morning! I'll post some photo's of the "before" later. What we are using is an pick-up camper and converting it to a full blown STANAG 4586 style flight station with a full compliment of radio gear and wifi.

The flight station is to look something like this one with 6 displays. In this way we can go mobile to Matagorda or Black Rock or anywhere else we need to go.

Thanks for the tip Alex! I'm sure that is useful.

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post._________________Today's the day! We go into Space!